Table



Aug. 11, 1936.

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Patented Aug. l1, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,0505" TABLE MoritzWaldschock, Golssen, Germany, assignor to Ottilie Waldschock, Golssen,Germany Application January 18, 1934, Serial No. 107,042 In GermanyJanuary 19, 1933 12 Claims. (01. 224 -48) adaptability of suchstructures, great promptness and exactness of operation, increasedfacility of manufacture and general reduction of the cost thereof.Another important object comprises the possibility of using one handonly for carrying and balancing the structure and for manipulating thelegs, so as to leave the other hand of the operator free for carryingother articles, operating a door for instance, or attending to otherduties. An additional important advantage in connection therewith is thelowering of the center of gravity of the structure with its carry load,thereby substantially eliminating unintentional swinging movement inascending and descending stairs, escalators and the like in themanipulation of such structure. of additional objects of my improvementI may mention the avoidance of shocks in the operation of the legs bythe combined readily responding legs-operating and carrying handle, andthe possibility of mounting the carrying members of the device inspacedly superimposed or other convenient, relative arrangement. Otherimportant improvements and advantages will appear from the specificationand claims and from an inspection of the drawings.

Broadly considered, my invention comprises a receiving or carryingmember for the reception of the load to be conveyed which member is.connected at opposite points thereof with a spacedly disposed combinedlifting and leg manipulating member mounted for axial rotation insubstantially parallel relation to the carrying member in suitablesupports and opposite the leg-carrying side of said carrying member, soas to constitute in its preferred embodiment a kind of inverted U-shapedor bail-like supporting handle with axially rotatable means adapted tooperatertlie foldable or collapsible legs on the opposite side of saidcarrying member, table, tray or the like and connected thereto byflexible, or bendable substantially resilientbelt-like or chain-dikemotion transmitting and connecting means which keepthe movable operatingmembers in engagement with each other and cause'them to readily respondto the rotation of said supporting handle in the axial direction orsubstantially in a plane at right angle to the carrying member. {Springactuated cranking-means may be employed in connection with-the foldablelegs or supports and with the leg-operating member to assist in keepingthe parts in the proper engaging position and in facilitating operationand in overcoming any possible resistance torque of the rotatablecarrying and manipulating member. Means may also be provided to overcomeany slipping tendency of the leg operating members. My invention will befurther described by ref- In the drawings:Figure l is an elevation;

somewhat diagrammatical,. and Figure 2 is a 15 bottom view seen frombelow of a table of a substantially rectangular shape, although theinvention is not restricted to this particular exempli- 'flcation.Figure2a. is a perspective view of this embodiment with part of the tablebroken away to more clearly disclose the leg-operating means.

Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to the ones shown respectively inFigures 1" and 2 with the operating parts preferably arranged at rightangle to those shown in Figures 1 and 2, Figure 3 being an elevation ofthe parts mounted on top of the table and Figure 4 showing the table asviewed from below.-Figure 5 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 2a andon a somewhat larger scale and partly broken away and substantiallycorresponding to Figs. 3 and 4.Figure 6 is a perspective illustrationwith the table broken away, showing as a modification the utilization ofa single endless flexible driving member for the simultaneous andantagonistic operation of the supporting legs.Figure 7 is anothermodificain perspective view illustrating spring actuated operation ofthe legs; and Figure 8 is a bottom view of Figure '7.Figures 1, 2, and2a. illustrate a most simple species of embodiment of the principles ofmy invention. In these figures the supporting table or tray is indicatedat 0, while the foldable legs are indicated at d. On the upper side ofthe table uprights a are provided opposite each other and in suitablebalanced relationship and carrying the axially rotatable handle b bymember, adapted to impart rotation in opposite directions to the legs inthe manner required.

Additional, spacedly disposed shelves, plates, frames or the like 3 forincreasing the available working surface of the structure may bearranged above the table proper c.

In the modification according to Figures 3, 4 and 5 where the legs d arefor instance supposed to extend crosswise instead of lengthwise of thetable the flexible belt like driving means e, g and 9 connect the shaftsk of the legs 11' by means of one or two intermediate gearing j. Theuprights a in this modification (and in other modiflcations) may bearranged at opposite ends of the table c and may be used to box up orotherwise conceal the driving means e wherever required, and to alsosteady the shelves s, if need be.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 6 a single, substantiallycontinuous bendable endless belt-like or string-like driving member e isused, the two oppositely movable reaches of which are taken over guiderollers r, r on a stub-shaft f in such a manner that the reaches oroperating belt sections of said member e are respectively connected tothe legs (1 or to their shafts k at points m. By crossing the belt orthe like e between the points 112. on the. parallel shafts k and passingthe remaining portion of the driving shaft e loop-like over therotatable operating handle I) the revolving movement of this handle. bwill turn the shafts k of the legs cl simultaneously in oppositedirections. A suitable guide roller or the like may be provided on thehandle I) in order to prevent slipping of the belt member e lengthwiseof said handle b. of course, a single endless belt or the like e may beused which is secured in the manner described.

Another embodiment of the principles of my invention is shown by way ofexample in Figures 7 and 8 of the'drawings. In this modification theshafts k of the legs d are under the action of compression springs 11 orthe like, the pressure of which keeps the movable operating parts inengagement and is readily overcome by the rotation of the handle bwithout any particular effort on the part of the bearer of the structureand without causing disengagement or axial slipping during operation.

In this exemplification the springs 11. may be caused, if desired to actupon cranked portions 1 of the legs d whereby the pressure andpromptness,of operation of the springs n are increased and an additionalsafeguard against undesired. slipping or tilting movement is provided.

In order to assist the operator in selecting the proper direction ofrotation of the legs, particularly when the tray or table c is loadedwith articles, guiding marks, pins, stops or the like 2, 2 on one orboth of the uprights are provided in the vicinity of the handle.

The structure in accordance with this invention may be made of anysuitable material, such as wood, metal, vulcanized fiber and the like.By using belt-like, bendable pressure transmitting means in preferenceto rigid links or levers a great uniformity and integration of operatingpressure are produced and jamming and sticking and rotatably mounted insaid uprights for roof the parts are avoided and the manipulation of thehandle is facilitated. The uprights may be hollow for the reception ofthe driving means.

I also desire it to be understood that the springacting leg operatingmeans may be used in connection with any of the species shown and thesame applies to the marking means, 2, z and to the endless, belt-likedriving member and to other interchangeable features of the device asshown and claimed, and it is to be understood that any one of theuprights may be used for the mounting of the belt-like driving means andother modifications and changes may be made within the scope of thisinvention as herein set forth and shown and as appears from the ap- 15pended claims.

I claim:

1. In a table, a plate, legs pivotally mounted on said plate, a handlefor carrying the table, means mounting said handle on said table torotate about an axis extending in parallel relation to said plate,flexible means operatively connected to said handle, gearing operativelyconnected to said flexible means, and other flexible means operativelyconnected to said gearing and to said legs, for operating said logs fromsaid handle.

2. In a table, a plate, legs pivotally mounted on said plate, ahandlefor carrying the table, means mounting said handle on said tableto rotate about an axis extending in parallel relation to said plate, adriving member mounted to rotate on said plate, means operativelyconnecting said driving member to said handle, and means operativelyconnecting said driving member to said 3 legs.

3. In a table, a plate, legs pivotally mounted on said plate, a handlefor carrying the table, means mounting said handle on said table torotate about an axis extending in parallel relation to said plate, adriving member mounted to rotate on said plate, means operativelyconnecting said driving member to said handle, and flexible meansandgearing operatively connecting said driving member to said legs.

4. A table comprising a supporting top, upright supports extendingopposite each other from one side of said top, lifting and manipulatingmeans above said top and intermediate the ends thereof and rotatablymounted in said uprights for rotation about an axis substantially inparallelism with said top, foldable legs swingingly disposed on theother side of said top, and flexible, substantially belt-like bendableconnecting means, respectively operatively connected to the manipulatingmeans and to said legs.

5. A table comprising a supporting top, upright supports, extendingopposite each other from one side of said top, lifting and manipulatingmeans above said top and intermediate the ends thereof supportsextending opposite each other from one side of said top, lifting andmanipulating means above said top, intermediate the ends thereof andmounted in said uprights for rotation about an axis substantially inparallelism to said top, foldable legs disposed on the other side ofsaid top, and an endless, flexible operating member, un-

\ top intermediate the ends of said top and mounted in said uprights forrotation about an axis substantially parallel to said top, foldable legson the other side of said top, and an endless, substantially belt-shapedoperating means positioned near at least one of said uprights andparallel thereto and unsiippingly secured to said manipu-' lating meansand operatively connected to said legs.

8. A table comprising a supporting top, supporting uprights extendingfrom one side of said top, lifting and manipulating means above saitopand mounted in said uprights, intermediate the sides ofthe top,foldable legs including crank arms on the other side of said top, springmeans connected to the cranked portions of the legs, and substantiallybelt-like operating means unslippingLv secured-on at least one terminalportion of said lifting and manipulating means and connected .to saidlegs.

9. A- table comprising a supporting top, supporting uprights extendingfrom one side of-sald top, lifting and manipulating means mounted insaid uprights for rotation in a plane at right angle to said top,collapsible legs on the other side of said top, and substantiallybelt-like operating means on at least one terminal portion of thelifting and manipulating means concealed by the adjoining supportingupright and connected to said legs and secured against slipping movementwith relation thereto,

10. In a table, a plate bars mounted on said plate, legs on said bars, arotatable handle for carrying said table and substantially coextensivewith the plate, mounting means on said table for supporting the handle,and bendable, substantially string-like motion transmitting means onsaid handle operatively connected to said legs.

11. A table. comprising a supporting top, supporting means extendingfrom one surface of said top, lifting and manipulating means-mounted in.said supporting means above the top for rotation on its axis in a planeat right angle to said top and intermediate the ends of said top,foldable legs pivotally secured to the other surface of said top, andsubstantially string-like bendable motion transmitting means fastenedrespectively to the manipulating means'and to said legs. 7

12. A table comprising a supporting top, upright supports extending fromone surface of said top, lifting and manipulating means mounted in saiduprights for rotation about an axis substantially in parallelism withsaid top, foldable legs pivoted to the other surface of said top, andsubstantially yielding, string -like motion transmit-- ting meansintersectingly extending near one of said uprights and respectivelysecured to said

